Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets

ABSTRACT

Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, having a plurality of flaps such as rudder fins hingedly connected to a ring member positioned on the rocket. The flaps are provided with an inclined surface portion and a counterpart member positioned at a rear portion of the rocket is provided with a correspondingly inclined surface portion such that in response to axial pressure the inclined surface portions of the flaps and counterpart member slidingly engage to effect a synchronous outward unfolding of the flaps.

States Patet [191 Schoffl [451 Jan. 21, 1975 FOLDABLE CONTROL FLAP UNIT, ESPECIALLY FOR ROCKETS [75] Inventor: Rainer Schoffl, Bergisch Gladbach,

Germany [73] Assignee: Dynamit Nobel Aktiengesellschaft,

Troisdorf, Germany 22 Filed: Dec. 28, 1973 211 App]. No.: 429,271

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 30, 1972 Germany 2264338 [52] US. Cl. 244/317, 244/328 [51] Int. Cl. F42b13/32 [58] Field of Search 244/327, 3.28

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,098,446 7/1963 Jasse 244/328 3,622,103 11/1971 Meier 244/328 3,684,214 8/1972 Kloss 244/327 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,418,696 10/1965 France 244/328 Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Craig & Antonelli [57] ABSTRACT 17 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Pmgmgn M2? 197$ FIG. la,

FIG. lb

FOLDABLE CONTROL FLAP UNIT, ESPECIALLY FOR ROCKETS The present invention relates to a foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets.

In conventional arrangements for rockets, projectiles, or missiles, the rudder fins are pivotably attached to rigid bearings and are unfolded individually by way of springs, pistons, or the like. In addition to the disadvantages of the complicated construction of these arrangements, a synchronous unfolding of all rudder fins is not sufficiently ensured with such arrangements.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of prior conventional arrangements for unfolding rudder fins or the like.

It is another object to provide a foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets in which the individual flaps or fins are synchronously unfolded.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, which is characterized by rudder fins hingedly joined to a ring axially displaceable on a cylindrical section of the rocket engine and/or the nozzle thereof, which fins are synchronously spread outwardly by a rearwardly oriented axial pressure on the ring by the fins sliding along a rigid, correspondingly beveled counterpart member disposed behind the initially flat rudder fins.

According to a feature of the present invention, the counterpart member can be the conical portion of a rocket nozzle or a sabot wherein suitably special guide slots are provided for the spread-open rudder fins.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the axial pressure on the mounting of the rudder fins can be provided by one or more springs, or by one or more piston rods of cylinders connected to a gas stream branched off from the rocket engine.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention; and wherein FIGS. 1a and lb illustrate a rocket having a foldable control flap unit in accordance with the present invention with FIGS. la and 1b illustrating the control flap unit in the closed and open positions, respectively;

FIG. 1c illustrates another embodiment of the control flap unit in the open position;

FIGS. 20 and 2b illustrate another embodiment of a control flap unit in accordance with the present invention in the closed and open positions, respectively; and

FIG. 2c illustrates, in sectional view, another embodiment of a control flap unit utilizing a piston system for unfolding the unit.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. la illustrates a rocket having a payload nose portion 1 and a rocket engine 2. A ring 3 having a forwardly directed conical surface is fixedly attached at the rear end of the engine and surrounds the nozzle of the rocket engine, not shown, as an adapter disk or sabot. An axially displaceable ring 4 is attached to the rocket engine 2 and has four rudder fins 5 pivotably mounted at pins 6 to the ring 4 and forms the control flap unit for rocket. The rudder fins 5 have an oblique or inclined end surface 7 contacting the conical ring 3. A compression spring 8, particularly fashioned as a cylindrical coil spring is positioned between the displaceable ring 4 and the rocket nose 1 for forcing the ring 4 with therudder fins 5 against the conical ring 3. However, as long as the rocket is in a barrel or launching tube, the ring 4 with the rudder fins 5 cannot be displaced.

FIG. 1b illustrates the rocket of FIG. la after leaving the launching tube with the control flap unit in the unfolded condition. Due to the pressure force of the spring 8, the ring 4 has been pushed rearwardly with the rudder fins 5 sliding upwardly along the conical ring 3 and displaced into the unfolded condition. A locking means, not shown, can be provided, in order to avoid an arbitrary collapse of the control flap unit due to aerodynamic forces. Such a locking means can consist, for example, of a spring-loaded pin in the ring 4 which, when the control flap unit is unfolded, engages a groove at the rear end of the rocket engine 2.

FIG. 1c illustrates another embodiment of the control flap unit, wherein a rectangular ring 9 is employed instead of the forwardly directed conical ring 3. The ring 9 is provided with inclined slots ltll with the rudder fins 5 being laterally guided in the slots 10 into the unfolded condition, whereby a more stable mounting of the rudder fins 5 is attained due to the location thereof within the slots.

FIG. 2a illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherein the rear end 11 of a rocket engine fashioned in a conventional manner, is provided with a nozzle 12 consisting of an outwardly cylindrical section 13 and an outwardly conical section 14. A displaceable ring 15 is arranged at the cylindrical section 13 and carries four rudder fins l6 pivotably mounted at the bearing members 17. A spring 18 between the rear end 11 of the rocket engine and the ring 15 presses the latter rearwardly, unless the ring or fins are held from the outside.

FIG. 2b illustrates the condition wherein the ring 15 has been pushed rearwardly and during this step, the rudder fins 16 are unfolded outwardly because of the sliding movement against the conical section 14.

FIG. 2c illustrates, in a partial sectional view another embodiment of the present invention wherein the rudder fins 16 are pushed rearwardly by means of gas pressure instead of spring force. In this embodiment, the rocket includes a combustion chamber having a rear end portion 19 with a solid propellant charge 20 having an insulation member 21 and a support member 22. A hollow cylinder 23 is attached to the nozzle 12, for example by welding, and a piston 24 with a sealing member 25 and a piston rod 26 is housed in this cylinder. A bore 27 connects the free engine space 29 with the space 28 in the hollow cylinder 23. In this way, pressure is produced in the space 28 upon the ignition of the propellant charge 20, pushing the piston 24 rearwardly. At the same time, the ring 15 is pushed rearwardly by way of the piston rod 26 contacting the ring 15, so. that the rudder fins 16 are pivoted outwardly by sliding contact along the surface 14.

In place of a hollow cylinder 23 and a piston 24, it is also possible, for example for reasons of a symmetrical force effect, to employ several hollow cylinders and pistons. Furthermore, for the same reason, it can be advantageous to provide an annular piston and several bores 27. Such a piston can be guided along its smaller diameter directly on the cylindrical section 13.

While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but also contemplates numerous changes and modifications as would be known to those skilled in the art given the present disclosure of the invention and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein only schematically but intend to cover all such changes and modifications.

What I claim is:

l. Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, comprising a plurality of control flap members, connecting means disposed on a rocket for hingedly connecting said flap members for movement from a substantially folded closed position to an unfolded open position, said flap members having a first inclined surface portion, and counterpart means having a second correspondingly inclined surface portion, at least one of said connecting means and said counterpart means being responsive to axial force for synchronously unfolding said flap members by causing said first and second inclined surface portions to slidingly engage with a consequent unfolding of said flap members, said connecting means including a ring member mounted for axial movement along a portion of the rocket from a first position to a second position in the rearward direction of the rocket, said flap members being hingedly connected thereto, said counterpart means being a fixedly disposed rigid member at a rearward portion of the rocket, and said ring member being responsive to axial force in the rearward direction for causing said first inclined surface portion to slidingly engage said second inclined surface portion.

2. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 1, wherein said flap members are elongated members extending in the rearward direction in the closed position from said ring member, and said counterpart means is disposed rearwardly of said ring member in the first position of said ring member.

3. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.

4. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical surface portion of the rocket is a nozzle portion of the rocket.

5. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said counterpart means is a sabot connected at a rear portion of the rocket.

6. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.

7. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means is a conical surface portion of the rocket nozzle.

8. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, further comprising displacement means for providing axial force in the rearward direction for displacing said ring member.

9. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 8,

wherein said displacement means includes at least one spring member mounted on the rocket for biasing said ring member rearwardly.

10. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 8, wherein said displacement means includes at least one piston and cylinder means, said cylinder means being disposed on the rocket and the rocket being provided with at least one bore means providing a communicating path between said cylinder means and the free engine space of the rocket engine, said piston means being disposed within said cylinder means and connected to said ring member, said piston means being responsive to a force supplied via said bore means for displacing said ring member rearwardly.

ll. Foldable control flap unit according to ulaim 2, further comprising locking means for locking said ring member in the second position thereof. claim 12. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 9, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.

13. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 9, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.

14. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 10, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.

l5. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 10, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.

16. Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, comprising a plurality of control flap members, connecting means disposed on a rocket for hingedly connecting said flap members for movement from a substantially folded closed position to an unfolded open position, said connecting means including a ring member mounted for axial movement along a portion of the rocket from a first position to a second position in the rearward direction of the rocket, said flap members being hingedly connected to said ring member, said flap members having a first inclined surface portion, and counterpart means having a second correspondingly inclined surface portion, said ring member being responsive to axial force in the rearward direction of the rocket for synchronously unfolding said flap members by causing said first and second inclined surface portions to slidingly engage with a consequent unfolding of said flap members with said flap members pivoting outwardly with respect to said ring member during at least a portion of the axial movement thereof.

17. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 16, wherein said flap members are configured to extend in the longitudinal direction of the rocket and are disposed within the longitudinal extent of the rocket in the first position thereof. 

1. Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, comprising a plurality of control flap members, connecting means disposed on a rocket for hingedly connecting said flap members for movement from a substantially folded closed position to an unfolded open position, said flap members having a first inclined surface portion, and counterpart means having a second correspondingly inclined surface portion, at least one of said connecting means and said counterpart means being responsive to axial force for synchronously unfolding said flap members by causing said first and second inclined surface portions to slidingly engage with a consequent unfolding of said flap members, said connecting means including a ring member mounted for axial movement along a portion of the rocket from a first position to a second position in the rearward direction of the rocket, said flap members being hingedly connected thereto, said counterpart means being a fixedly disposed rigid member at a rearward portion of the rocket, and said ring member being responsive to axial force in the rearward direction for causing said first inclined surface portion to slidingly engage said second inclined surface portion.
 2. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 1, wherein said flap members are elongated members extending in the rearward direction in the closed position from said ring member, and said counterpart means is disposed rearwardly of said ring member in the first position of said ring member.
 3. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.
 4. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical surface portion of the rocket is a nozzle portion of the rocket.
 5. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said counterpart means is a sabot connected at a rear portion of the rocket.
 6. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.
 7. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means is a conical surface portion of the rocket nozzle.
 8. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 2, further comprising displacement means for providing axial force in the rearward direction for displacing said ring member.
 9. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 8, wherein said displacement means includes at least one spring member mounted on the rocket for biasing said ring member rearwardly.
 10. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 8, wherein said displacement means includes at least one piston and cylinder means, said cylinder means being disposed on the rocket and the rocket being provided with at least one bore means providing a communicating path between said cylinder means and the free engine space of the rocket engine, said piston means being disposed within said cylinder means and connected to said ring member, said piston means being responsive to a force supplied via said bore means for displacing said ring member rearwardly.
 11. Foldable control flap unit according to ulaim 2, further comprising locking means for locking said ring member in the second position thereof. claim
 12. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 9, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.
 13. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 9, wherein said second inclIned surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.
 14. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 10, wherein said ring member is disposed about a cylindrical surface portion of the rocket.
 15. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 10, wherein said second inclined surface portion of said counterpart means includes means forming inclined slots for receiving said flap members for movement therein.
 16. Foldable control flap unit, especially for rockets, comprising a plurality of control flap members, connecting means disposed on a rocket for hingedly connecting said flap members for movement from a substantially folded closed position to an unfolded open position, said connecting means including a ring member mounted for axial movement along a portion of the rocket from a first position to a second position in the rearward direction of the rocket, said flap members being hingedly connected to said ring member, said flap members having a first inclined surface portion, and counterpart means having a second correspondingly inclined surface portion, said ring member being responsive to axial force in the rearward direction of the rocket for synchronously unfolding said flap members by causing said first and second inclined surface portions to slidingly engage with a consequent unfolding of said flap members with said flap members pivoting outwardly with respect to said ring member during at least a portion of the axial movement thereof.
 17. Foldable control flap unit according to claim 16, wherein said flap members are configured to extend in the longitudinal direction of the rocket and are disposed within the longitudinal extent of the rocket in the first position thereof. 